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Mickey has been a family friend to the Gallagher’s since he was eight years old. He met the eldest son, Lip, in school since they were in the same year, and then he met Lip’s younger brother, Ian, at Little League when he pissed on first base.
Ever since becoming friends with Lip and Ian, he’s been an honorary Gallagher. Fiona, the eldest Gallagher kid, would take care of him and his younger sister, Mandy, whenever their father would beat on Mickey and he didn’t want to leave Mandy with him just in case he turned on her. Babies Debbie and Carl, loved playing with Mickey and Mandy, and have always considered them as their brother and sister. So has baby, Liam a few years later.
Therefore it was normal that at the age of twenty, Mickey and Lip moved in together with eighteen year old, Ian. Mickey and Lip have been living together for the past two years ever since they got into the University of Chicago and decided against dorms and got themselves an apartment close to campus. Ian got accepted a couple of years later and they got a bigger apartment so they could all live together.
The only hard part about living with his two best friends is being in love with one of them. Mickey knew he was “different” ever since he could remember. He just didn’t know how until he started looking at boys the way he should be looking at girls. And that boy was Ian Gallagher.
Ian told Mickey he was gay at the age of twelve, Mickey was fourteen and already knew he was gay as well. He always knew he liked Ian more than he probably should. Ever since they met as kids, but it just intensified more and more when Ian came out to him.
The only two people who knows his feelings towards Ian is Lip and Mandy, and that’s only because he got way too high and drunk one night and spilled the beans to them. Ian had already passed out and Mickey just told them. They promised to never tell Ian and he was grateful for that.
Especially now that they’re older and living together. And well, the fact that Ian has a boyfriend.
Friday night finally comes around and the three men are sitting on the sofa drinking beer and playing video games. Mickey and Lip are anyway, Ian got bored and decided to just watch them play. Though, that got real boring, real fast.
“Let’s go out,” Ian says smacking Mickey’s thigh slightly. They are all on one sofa (they have that L shaped leather sofa that’s so damn comfortable), Mickey in the middle of the two Gallagher’s, Ian in the corner where the sofa turns into the L.
Mickey snaps his eyes to Ian and back to the screen. He says, “The fuck for?”
“I’m bored,” Ian drags the word out.
“So pick up the controller and play, dip shit,” Mickey says pressing hard on the buttons on his controller.
Lip starts yelling shit at his player on the screen and Mickey laughs. Ian says, “C’mon guys, let’s do something. Dylan’s going to some bar downtown with some football buddies.”
“That’s great for him,” Mickey says sarcastically.
Lip throws his controller onto the coffee table with a curse. “Fuck it, let’s go out,” He says before finishing off his beer.
“What? No, now you wanna go out cause you fucking lost like a little bitch,” Mickey says to Lip.
“Fuck you,” Lip says. “Let’s just go before Ian gets a fucking aneurism from begging us.”
Ian flips Lip off. He moves closer to Mickey on the sofa and puts both his hands on Mickey’s thigh. Mickey freezes, the bottle of his beer at his lips, he looks down at Ian’s hands on his thigh but doesn’t do anything. He should probably bat his hands away or something. He shouldn’t crave his best friend’s touch so badly. Ian says, “Please, Mick?”
“You two can go, plus your boyfriend is there, you don’t need me,” Mickey says. He doesn’t want to watch Ian and fucking Dylan make out all night long.
“You sound like a whiny bitch, c’mon, Mick. I want you to come, so get your grumpy ass up and let’s go,” Ian says smacking his thigh again before getting up.
Mickey laughs. “Jesus fuck, fine,” He says getting up. He finishes off his beer and the three of them leave the apartment and step out into the crisp fall night.
They get to the bar and no one cards them since it’s not too busy yet that they need a bouncer outside. Plus, they all look at least twenty-one so they barely even need their fake IDs that Lip got them.
Ian walks right to where Dylan is sitting with a bunch of his dumb football friends. Mickey doesn’t only hate Dylan cause he’s dating the guy he’s been basically in love with all his life, it’s also because Dylan’s a douchebag.
“Hey, babe,” Dylan says kissing Ian on the lips. Mickey rolls his eyes and Lip chuckles lightly next to him having caught that. “Sit down, guys, we got a couple pitchers of beer.”
Ian sits down next to Dylan but Mickey excuses himself to go to the bar, Lip following him. “Getting a real drink?” Lip asks.
“Damn right,” Mickey says before ordering them two Jack Daniel’s neat.
Lip asks, “Mandy didn’t wanna come tonight?”
“Girls night or some shit with Karen, I don’t know,” Mickey says with a wave of his hand. Mandy and Karen have been friends since they started middle school and now live together in a dorm (having put in the request ahead of time). “Don’t make me say it again, man,” Mickey says glaring at Lip.
“Say what?” Lip asks innocently.
“Fucking idiot,” Mickey says before they start laughing. Ever since Mandy hit puberty Lip started showing more interest in her than Mickey liked. He didn’t want them dating at all cause he knows exactly who Lip is and what he would do to her, which is breaking her heart. So Lip respected Mickey’s wishes and never tried to fuck his sister. He does flirt with her all the time though cause she’s hot and it pisses Mickey off.
Mickey looks over his shoulder to where Ian is sitting and laughing with his boyfriend and his friends and groans looking back ahead of him.
Lip says, “Why don’t you just tell him already?”
“Why don’t you just mind your fucking business already?” Mickey snaps.
Lip sighs. “Mick, you’re my best friend and I want you to be happy and all that fucking bullshit friends are supposed to want for each other. Ian makes you happy. I can see that. Everyone could fucking see that, so grow a pair and just tell him,” He says.
“Tell who what?” Ian asks coming up behind them and scaring the two of them.
“Jesus Christ,” Mickey exclaims turning to face the redhead.
“I scare you, Mick?” Ian teases.
“Well you just creeped in out of fucking nowhere so yeah,” Mickey says back.
Ian grins at him and says, “Come sit with us, you fucking loners. Plus there’s someone I want you to meet, Mick.”
Mickey groans and Lip laughs. Ian asks, “What?” looking to Mickey then Lip.
Lip says, “I’m gonna go talk to that girl over there and see if she wants a drink,” pointing to a blonde in the corner of the bar with a couple of her girl friends, leaving Ian and Mickey alone.
“I don’t want to meet another one of your boyfriend’s friends, Ian,” Mickey says turning back around to grab his drink and take a sip.
“Why not?” Ian asks confused.
“Can we not get into this here?” Mickey asks.
He tries to turn back around to face the bar but Ian stops him. He says, “Get into what? What are you talking about?”
“You keep setting me up on dates, and I know you have my best interest at heart or whatever, and the people you chose are very nice and all, I guess, but they’re not you,” Mickey says quickly.
Ian’s eyes open wide as he looks at Mickey in shock. He opens his mouth to say something before closing it again. Mickey nods and chugs down the rest of his drink.
Ian starts to say, “Mick, I-“ but Mickey interrupts him. “Save it. I’m gonna go home. See you later,” He gets up and leaves the bar.
Mickey decides against going home when he sees another bar a few blocks away. It’s way less busy than the other bar he was just at. There’s a few people around the bar but that’s about it, and there’s a TV playing some game while some old school Rock plays over the sound system. Mickey sits at the bar and orders another Jack neat.
Not too long into his drink he gets a text from Lip.
Lip: Where’d you go?
Mickey: Had to leave
Lip: What happened?
Mickey: Doesn’t matter
Lip: Tell me where you are, we can drink away your sorrows together
Mickey: What about your blonde?
Lip: Apparently I fucked her already, she didn’t take too kindly to me not remembering her
Mickey laughed out loud and closed his mouth quickly when a couple people near him turned to look at him. He looked back to his phone.
Mickey: Good job, dumbass. I’m at some bar a few blocks away. Kinda looks like The Alibi, I didn’t look at the name of it. And don’t tell your brother where I am.
Lip: You got it, brother. Be there soon.
Ten minutes later and Lip is walking into the bar and sitting next to Mickey.
“We’re gonna get fucked up,” Lip says as greeting before ordering them four shots each, and a beer for himself.
They down each shot before Lip asks what happened. Mickey says, “Your dumb brother wanted to set me up with another one of his dumb boyfriends dumb friends.”
“Ahh,” Lip says in understanding.
“I went on those few dates with those guys cause he asked me to and well you fucking forced me to to try to get over Ian. And yeah, they were fine lays, but you know…” Mickey mumbles.
“Yeah, I know, man,” Lip says simply.
They sit quietly, Lip sipping his beer and Mickey finishing off his Jack Daniel’s he ordered before Lip came.
Lip says after a few minutes, “Let’s go home. I wanna get high and beat your ass in Mario Kart.”
Mickey laughs. “That was your plan huh? Get me all liquored up and give me some drugs then beat me in Mario Kart? Well tough luck, Phillip, I will still kick your ass no matter how fucked up I am,” He says.
“Can you even walk, tough guy?” Lip asks as he gets up, slapping some money onto the counter for their drinks plus Mickey’s.
Mickey finishes his drink as he flips Lip off. He gets up and opens his arms wide showing Lip that he can stand on his own two feet. Lip laughs and says, “I said walk jackass not stand.”
Mickey flips him off again and starts to walk. It’ll take more than a few drinks to get Mickey too fucked up to walk. They push each other out of the way as they make their way out of the bar and towards their apartment.
They don’t live too far so they’re able to walk home in about twenty minutes. They get inside and shed their jackets and shoes making their way to the sofa.
“Mickey?” Ian asks coming into the living room to see Mickey and Lip drunk making so much noise as they turn the TV on and sit down.
Mickey turns to see Ian in sweatpants and a tank top in the hallway near the living room. He turns back to face the TV and grabs the video game controller to start a new game for him and Lip.
“What are you doing back already?” Lip asks since Mickey won’t answer Ian. Lip’s grinding up some of the weed to roll them a nice spliff. Ian walks into the living room and stands near the sofa, close to where Mickey is sitting.
He says, “Couldn’t stay there, not after what you said, Mick.”
“Forget about it, I didn’t know what I was talking about,” Mickey says.
Lip scoffs and Mickey punches him in the leg. “Ow. Jesus, Mick, just fucking tell him already,” He says glaring at Mickey.
“Tell me what?” Ian asks. “Will someone just fucking tell me what I’m clearly missing?!”
“Fine,” Mickey says to both of them. He gets up and says, “You really wanna fucking know?”
“Yes!” Ian says getting annoyed.
“I’m in love with you, Ian. I have been ever since we were kids. That’s why I don’t want to go on fucking dates with your douchebag boyfriends friends or anyone else you try to set me up with. None of them are you. They’re just not you, Ian,” Mickey confesses, finally.
“Are you just saying all this cause you’re drunk?” Ian asks, not sure.
Mickey laughs. “Basically, yeah. Clearly haven’t been able to say it when I’m sober, but it’s all true,” He says.
“I can confirm that it’s true,” Lip says before licking the paper to finish up the joint he just rolled.
“You knew and didn’t tell me?” Ian asks glaring at Lip.
“He told me not to tell!” Lip says in defence.
“Christ, so my brother knew before me that you’re in love with me,” Ian says shaking his head.
“And Mandy,” Lip says.
“What the fuck, Mickey?” Ian says throwing his hands in the air. “Why didn’t you just fucking tell me?”
“How was I supposed to do that? You’ve always sort of had some boyfriend or whatever and excuse me for not wanting to be fucking turned down and shit gets weird between us like it clearly is right now…” Mickey says moving to sit back down next to Lip.
Ian sits in front of Mickey on the coffee table. He sends Lip a look that says get the fuck out of here and he obliges. He takes his smokes and his sweater and goes on the balcony. Once they’re alone, Ian puts his hands on Mickey’s thighs and says, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to react like this, it’s just- let me say what I have to say before you go rolling your fucking eyes at me. It’s just I’m caught off guard and waiting for you guys to tell me it’s not true… Mickey, I’ve been in love with you since I can remember. You think I wanted to set you up with these guys or hear you with them or any of that shit? I definitely fucking didn’t but I figured that if you were dating someone maybe it would be easier to get over my feelings for you. Why do you think I’ve been dating ever since I hit puberty? I’ve been trying to not be in love with you.”
Mickey moves closer and brings his hand up Ian’s chest and to the back of his neck feeling the short hairs as he runs his hands into the longer strands of his red hair. He presses their lips together in a sweet kiss. Ian’s hands come up to cradle Mickey’s face and deepen the kiss.
They break apart, foreheads resting against each other as they laugh lowly.
They hear a small knock on the window and see Lip standing there. He waves like a fucking creep and points to the inside. They both laugh and Ian waves him in.
“I felt really creepy being outside and watching you guys kiss,” Lip says shedding his sweater and coming back to the sofa.
“No one fucking told you to watch us, moron,” Mickey says. He pulls Ian by the hand to sit next to him on the sofa.
“You guys are fucking cute,” Lip says before making a barf noise.
Mickey rolls his eyes but keeps his hold on Ian’s hand in his lap. Ian chuckles and kisses Mickey’s head. Lip says, “So you gonna ditch that idiot boyfriend of yours since you got this beautiful creature now?”
Mickey flips him off before looking to Ian and saying, “Yeah, what are you waiting for?”
Ian laughs and says, “Well I’m gonna need my hand back.”
Mickey lets Ian’s hand go and Ian goes to his room to get his phone. As he makes his way back to them he says, “Is it horrible to do it over text? I don’t wanna talk or see him to do this.”
“Who gives a shit?” Mickey asks and Lip laughs.
Ian smirks at him and says, “Alright, jealous, relax. I’m doing it.”
“Fuck off, don’t do me any favours,” Mickey says.
Ian chuckles as he pulls Mickey to him. “You’re so cute when you’re jealous, I love it,” He says.
“I hate you,” Mickey says though he doesn’t try to get out of Ian’s embrace.
Ian kisses his cheek loudly and says, “No, you love me so much.”
Lip rolls his eyes at them and lights up the joint. “Can we fucking smoke this now so I can beat you in Mario Kart?” He asks.
“You will never beat me, I am the king of Mario Kart,” Mickey says taking the joint from Lip.
Ian shows Mickey the text Dylan just sent him back.
Ian: This is really shitty to do over text but there’s no other way for me. I’m in love with someone else. I’m sorry but it’s over.
Dylan: Mickey finally told you how he felt huh? Can’t say I’m surprised. Good luck to you.
“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?” Mickey asks.
“Who gives a shit?” Ian says. He takes the joint from Mickey and takes a few puffs before bringing Mickey’s lips to his and blowing the smoke into his mouth.
“Yeah, who gives a shit,” Mickey agrees pulling Ian, his boyfriend, back in for a proper kiss.